NZF president out on the town with Putin and Pele
For New Zealand Football president Deryck Shaw, it must have been a surreal moment.
Whatever Shaw does in the rest of his career, he can always talk about the evening he spent in St Petersburg doing multiple toasts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, preceded two hours earlier by swapping stories with Pele.
That was the unlikely scenario for the NZF president, invited to Fifa’s VVIP box for the opening match of the Confederations Cup between Russia and the All Whites on Sunday morning (New Zealand time).
Although he had been briefed that Pele may be attending, Shaw admitted it was special when the 76-yearold three-time World Cup winner walked in.
“When he came into the room I don’t think I have ever seen so many cameras and flashes go off,” Shaw said. “People crowded around him and he had a special aura.
“He apologised that his English wasn’t so good and we talked about his health and general things,” Shaw said. “He’s had hip and knee problems from his long career in football and I was actually stand up for the helping him anthems.”
Shaw also spent time with Putin, the controversial Russian leader who has dominated his country’s political scene for more than 16 years. Indeed, Putin’s pre-announced presence almost overshadowed the buildup to the match (which New Zealand lost 2-0), such is his power in this country. After arriving by helicopter, he gave an extended speech before kickoff, then took his seat beside Fifa president Gianni Infantino, and just along from Shaw.
“There was an intensity during the game as you would expect, the pressure was on them,” Shaw said. “I was nervous for the game and I think he was more nervous. At times I didn’t want to be the only one not clapping.”
After the match, Shaw was invited in for a private meeting with Putin, joined by Infantino and Russian deputy prime minister (and football president) Vitaly Mutko.
“We talked about football, the World Cup and other general things. We also had half a dozen toasts of champagne, though just a little each time.”
Shaw found Putin to be “very professional, respectful [and] thoughtful in what he said and how he said it”.
He later presented Putin and Mutko with a gift from NZF.
“Putin said ‘I’m sorry Derek, we don’t have a gift for you’,” he said. “I said ‘don’t apologise — you’ve given us the best gift, a chance to play Russia in the opening game of the Confederations Cup’.”
Shaw will return to his consultancy firm in New Zealand at the conclusion of the All Whites’ participation in the tournament but will always remember mixing with two big names.
“That’s football,” Shaw said. “Where else would it happen? That’s the global reach of the sport.”